As common electrical energy storage devices, batteries can be classified into primary batteries and secondary batteries. The primary batteries are used once and discarded. Common examples are zinc-manganese dioxide battery, and lithium battery. The secondary batteries (rechargeable batteries) can be discharged and recharged multiple times. Examples include the lead-acid battery, nickel-metal hydride battery, and lithium-ion battery. Trails on making the primary battery, especially the zinc-manganese dioxide battery, to be rechargeable have been widely investigated. U.S. application Ser. No. 14/451,828 disclosed a hybrid energy storage device combining a supercapacitor with a battery in series. This hybrid energy storage device has a small volume and a lower cost of manufacture, but could not be recharged when it is exhausted.
What is needed, therefore, is to provide a rechargeable battery that can overcome the above-described shortcomings.